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Best online A Level History courses in the UK (2026 comparison)

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Last reviewed 9 min readBy Lift College

A Level guide

The best online A Level History course for most adults is one that teaches the same specification as schools, gives you a named tutor who marks your work, and books your exam for you so you are not left hunting for a centre. Lift College's online A Level History course follows AQA 7042 (QAN 601/4973/5) and costs £49.99 a month on the Study plan or £89.99 a month on +Exams, which adds exam entry and centre fees with your seat booked at one of 10 Tutors & Exams centres. You sit the written papers in the May/June series, start with a 7-day free trial (nothing charged until day 8), and can enrol from age 14 (under 18s with a parent or guardian's permission and support). Below we compare Lift College with five other providers, using each provider's own page as read on 11 October 2026.

What to look for in an online A Level History course

  1. The qualification itself. Check the exact specification and awarding body. Lift College teaches AQA 7042; other providers may teach a different board with different papers and set content.
  2. Whether exam entry is included. Many course prices exclude exam entry and centre fees, which you pay to a centre yourself.
  3. Who books the exam. Every A Level is sat in person. A provider that books your seat saves you finding a centre that accepts private candidates.
  4. Tutor support and marking. Look for a named tutor who marks your practice and returns it quickly, not just access to videos.
  5. Commitment and refunds. Compare a cancellable monthly plan with a fixed price or credit agreement, and check trial or refund terms.
  6. Which specification and periods. AQA 7042 (Lift College, ICS Learn) and Edexcel 9HI0 (NEC, Open Study College, CloudLearn) cover different option periods, and all three AQA components together must cover at least 200 years. Check which breadth and depth options a provider teaches before you compare.

2026 comparison table

2026 comparison table
ProviderPriceExam board and specificationExam entry includedTutor supportFree trial or refund
Lift CollegeStudy £49.99 a month or £509.99 a year; +Exams £89.99 a month (9-month expected term) or £917.99 a year. Annual billing saves 15%AQA 7042 A Level, QAN 601/4973/5Yes on +Exams: entry and centre fees included, seat booked at a Tutors & Exams centre. Exam entry is only on +ExamsNamed UK tutor, marked practice, marking in 5 to 7 working days7-day free trial, nothing charged until day 8; 14-day money-back guarantee on every payment; no contract, no credit check
NEC (National Extension College)£730 single payment, or £73 deposit then £54.75 a month for 12 months at 0% APR (six or 12 month plans)Edexcel 9HI0No. "Any fees in relation to exam entries or assessments are not covered by your course fee"; a guaranteed exam place is listed, and NEC says it is a JCQ-approved exam centre24 months 1-2-1 tutor guidanceNo free trial on the page; refund terms not on the course page (Check provider)
Open Study CollegeCourse only £449 (shown against £499), or from £15.88 a month; Course + exams (Birmingham) £1,359; Course + exams (other centres) £1,479; optional printed Study Pack +£50Edexcel 9HI0On the exam packages OSC books and pays: "we will take care of booking and paying for your exams for you"; course only does not include exams; "Exams are sat at one of our approved centres chosen by you"Unlimited tutor support throughout the course; 24 months to complete14-Day Money-Back Guarantee; no free trial on the page
ICS Learn£550 total: £76 deposit then £79 a month over 6 months, interest freeAQA 7042No. ICS Learn acts as the entering centre and you find and book a host centre yourself; its entry fee and the centre's fees are additional to the course costExtended support until summer 2028 resultsNot on the page (Check provider)
CloudLearn£399 (the page also shows £499), or from £19.66 a month; 3-month plans interest free, longer plans subject to interestEdexcel 9HI0No. "Additional exam fees apply"; CloudLearn finds the centre and books the exam for youUnlimited 1:1 support from a dedicated tutor for 24 monthsFree trial lesson; 14-day money-back guarantee
Oxbridge Home LearningPrice not shown on the course page (Check provider); its A Level listing shows "From £495"Syllabus code 7042 listed; the page names both Edexcel and AQANot stated as included: "You can purchase your exams when you enrol on a course, or you can book them later via MyOxbridge"; guaranteed exam spaces at partnership centres, or register as a private candidate at a centre of your choiceUnlimited tutor support for 24 months after enrolmentNo free trial or refund terms on the page (Check provider); an Exam Pass Guarantee offers support to the next exam if you do not pass

Oxbridge Ltd, trading as Oxbridge Home Learning, entered administration on 1 October 2025 according to Companies House; its website continues to trade.

Each cell reflects the provider's own page on 11 October 2026; confirm before you enrol. For how Lift College's plans work, see A Level funding and costs.

How the exam works for adults

A Level History cannot be sat online. Adults sit the same written components as school candidates, in person at an approved centre, as private candidates, and receive the same certificate. On AQA 7042 there are two written components of 2 hours 30 minutes, each 80 marks and worth 40%: Component 1, Breadth Study, covers developments over approximately 100 years plus interpretations, and Component 2, Depth Study, covers a period of major change plus primary evidence. Component 3, the Historical Investigation (40 marks, 20%), is an independently researched study of 3,500 to 4,500 words framed as a question over approximately 100 years. At Lift College you complete it with your named tutor's guidance; it is marked and then moderated by AQA, and submitted before the written components.

There is one series a year for A Levels, May/June. All papers are sat in the same series, and any non-exam assessment is submitted in the same year. On Lift College's +Exams plan, Lift enters you before AQA's deadline and books your seat at a Tutors & Exams centre in Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Mitcham, Newcastle, Romford, St Neots and Taunton. If you would rather find a centre yourself, our guide to A Level private exam centres explains the process, and retaking A Levels in 2026/27 covers resits.

Who should choose which

  • You want the exam booked for you and a low monthly cost: Lift College +Exams at £89.99 a month, with entry and centre fees built in. Monthly +Exams has a 9-month expected term; you can cancel any time with no exit fee, but unused exam credit is forfeited.
  • You want to study first and decide on the exam later: Lift College Study at £49.99 a month, or the course-only options at Open Study College, CloudLearn or ICS Learn.
  • You prefer one fixed price and long tutor access: NEC (£730, 24 months of tutor guidance) or Lift College's annual plan (£509.99 on Study, £917.99 on +Exams). Remember NEC's price excludes exam fees.
  • You are resitting: match the specification you sat before. Lift College teaches AQA 7042; see the table for which boards the other providers use.

All 11 Lift College A Level subjects are listed on the A Level hub, and can you do A Levels online? explains how online study and in-person exams fit together.

Your next step

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best online A Level History course in the UK?
The best course is the one that matches your goal, but for most adults that means the current AQA specification, a named tutor and an exam that is booked for you. Lift College's AQA 7042 course offers all three on the +Exams plan at £89.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial.
How much does an online A Level History course cost in the UK?
On 11 October 2026 one-off course prices were £399 (CloudLearn), £449 (Open Study College, course only), £550 (ICS Learn) and £730 (NEC), all before exam fees, while Open Study College's course with exams was £1,359 (Birmingham) or £1,479 (other centres); Oxbridge Home Learning's A Level listing showed "From £495". Lift College is £49.99 a month on Study, or £89.99 a month on +Exams with entry and centre fees included.
Can I study A Level History online and sit the exam as a private candidate in the UK?
Yes. You study online and sit the written components in person at an approved exam centre as a private candidate, and submit the non-exam assessment in the same year. On Lift College's +Exams plan your entry is made for you and your seat is booked at one of 10 Tutors & Exams centres in England; on Study you can enter yourself at a centre that accepts private candidates.
How does the A Level History coursework work online?
Component 3, the Historical Investigation, is 20% of AQA 7042: a 3,500 to 4,500 word study framed as a question over approximately 100 years, using primary and secondary sources. At Lift College you complete it with your named tutor's guidance, it is marked and then moderated by AQA, and it is submitted before the written components.
Does Lift College's A Level History price include the exam?
Only on +Exams. At £89.99 a month it includes exam entry and centre fees, with your seat booked at a Tutors & Exams centre; exam entry is only on +Exams, and the Study plan is £49.99 a month.

Sources checked